Chapter 26: The Tongzi Raid and the Expansion of the Red Army (Part II)

Chapter 26: Tongzi Harassment and Expanding the Red Ranks

In the courtyard with the blue-tiled atrium in Tongzi County, the air felt as heavy and stagnant as lead. Wang Lin’s gaze was pinned to the 1:50,000 military map, specifically the northwestern corner of Tongzi, where an area was repeatedly circled in charcoal: Jiantouya, Jiudianya, Shiniulan, Diaojiaolou... The names of the mountain ridges crouched menacingly between the contour lines. His fingertips traced the map, cold and rigid.

Wang Lin’s voice was low but possessed a resolute finality. He looked up, his gaze sweeping over Political Commissar Wang Guangdao and Regimental Quartermaster Zhong Guangbang. "Our roots must be planted in these desolate, bird-forsaken mountain gullies on the edges of the map! The seven hundred men missing from the Independent Regiment must be recruited from these suffering folk who chew tree bark and swallow Guanyin clay. Those are the soldiers the Independent Regiment wants! As for those Sichuan warlords over in Wenshui..." He frowned, his tone laced with uncertainty. "Guo Xunqi just suffered a defeat at Erlangtan; it is hard to say whether Pan Wenhua and Tian Zhongyi might act out of desperation."

Wang Guangdao’s eyes grew grave as he replied, "We can only take it one step at a time. Double the sentries sent to Jiantouya; if any movement from the Sichuan troops is detected, report back immediately. We are deep behind enemy lines; we cannot afford a single mistake." He turned to his capable subordinates, "The recruitment squad, depart immediately! Targets: Northwest Tongzi, Jiantan, Shiniulan, Diaojiaolou, Huaqiuping, and Fengshuiya! Move by night and hide by day; take root and establish connections! Even if we don't succeed in recruitment, we must sow the ideological seeds of the Red Army here."

The order, like an invisible pulse, pierced deep into the vast, rugged mountains northwest of Tongzi.

The wind at Jiantouya carried the uniquely penetrating, damp chill of early spring in northern Guizhou. Battalion Commander Chen Ahai crouched behind a cold rock. Through his binoculars, the mountain path leading from Wenshui Town to the pass was empty, save for a few crows cawing on withered branches. The Sichuan troops, who had lost officers to sniper fire and suffered artillery barrages a few days prior, seemed to have lost their nerve and were nowhere to be seen.

"Tsk, have they really turned into cowards?" Chen Ahai spat, yet his face remained tight with worry. Before departing, the Regimental Commander had repeatedly warned of a potential counterattack; this deathly silence made his skin crawl. After a moment of contemplation, a cold glint flashed in his eyes. "Heiwa! Take two nimble men and scout forward! Get close to the outer sentry posts of Wenshui! Don't charge in—just snipe! Aim specifically for those wearing wide-brimmed hats and carrying C96 pistols! Fire once, then shift to another hill! Make enough noise so the sentries on the Wenshui city wall can hear the shots!"

"Understood!" The marksman Heiwa licked his lips. With two equally capable veterans, he slid down the hillside like a civet cat, disappearing into the jagged stone forest and withered shrubbery.

Two hours later, at the headquarters of the 2nd Independent Brigade of the Sichuan Army in Wenshui Town.

"Report—Brigade Commander! A report from the forward scouts!" The communications soldier lifted the cotton curtain, bringing in a gust of cold air. Tian Zhongyi, who had been staring blankly at his map, perked up. "Speak!"

"The brothers sent to Shiniulan have returned," the soldier whispered. "They disguised themselves as salt merchants and lurked at the village entrance for half the night. Just before dawn, they saw the Communist bandits assembling on the threshing floor, holding a red flag with the words 'Independent Regiment' embroidered in black!"

Tian Zhongyi’s fingers tightened. "What else?"

"They crept to the outside of the ancestral hall wall late at night and heard them holding a mass meeting," the soldier continued. "A leader was shouting, 'The Red Army is the army of the workers and peasants, fighting for the poor...' I couldn't hear the rest clearly, only fragments about 'overthrowing local tyrants' and 'distributing land'."

"Independent Regiment..." Tian Zhongyi muttered, his face turning deathly pale. He stood up abruptly. "Saddle the horses! We go to Brigade Commander Pan’s for a council!"

In Pan Wenhua’s headquarters, smoke swirled thick. The veteran Sichuan commander tapped his fingers on the table for a long time after hearing the report. "So, it really is Wang Lin’s Independent Regiment?"

"Absolutely!" Tian Zhongyi slammed his riding crop onto the table. "The scouts saw the flag and heard the propaganda! Those ruthless devils from Erlangtan have truly made it to Tongzi!"

The regimental officers gathered below were in a stir. One commander couldn't help but interject, "Brigade Commander, should we..."

"Shut up!" Pan Wenhua barked. "Generalissimo Liu’s orders are to 'prevent the Communist bandits from fleeing north into Sichuan.' Who gave you permission to take the initiative?" He picked up his long-stemmed pipe, the embers glowing intermittently. "Guo Xunqi knows better than anyone what Wang Lin’s Independent Regiment is capable of. We have no reason to throw our men’s lives into this abyss!"

Tian Zhongyi agreed, "Brigade Commander Pan is right. If we hold this pass at Wenshui, our mission is accomplished. If the Communist bandits want to head south, let them; it will be the Central Army’s headache. Our Sichuan sons shouldn't be cannon fodder for Chiang Kai-shek!"

"Pass the order," Pan Wenhua inhaled deeply. "Tighten the defensive lines and reinforce the fortifications! Without my command, no one is to step one foot out of the town!"

In Shiniulan that night, the ancestral hall was brightly lit. Three kerosene lamps hung from the rafters, casting a glow on the red-painted slogans on the wall: "Overthrow local tyrants, distribute land." Over thirty ragged villagers sat on long benches, notebooks made of birch bark before them. Zheng Shitou of the 3rd Battalion stood on a dirt platform; behind him, on a blackboard, were the words: "The Red Army is the army of the poor."

"Fellow villagers," Zheng Shitou’s voice was steady and powerful, carrying a thick Sichuan-Shaanxi accent. "We invited you here today not to settle private scores, but to discuss why we, the poor, suffer." He picked up a piece of chalk and drew a simple pyramid on the board. "At the very top are Chiang Kai-shek and those high officials; in the middle are the landlords and the local heads; and at the very bottom, crushed by it all, are us, the poor. If we don't want to be beaten or starved, we must topple this mountain!"

Low whispers rippled through the crowd. Shi Laoyao touched the wood-chopping knife left by his father, deep in thought.

Yang Wazi opened a mimeographed pamphlet: "The Red Army’s Land Law dictates that all land, houses, and property of landlords shall be distributed to the poor. Last year in Jiangxi, thousands upon thousands of farmers received land and became masters of their own destiny!" He pointed to the illustrations in the pamphlet. "Look everyone, this is the land distribution meeting of farmers in Ruijin, Jiangxi. Men, women, old, and young are all happily receiving their land deeds."

Zheng Shitou put down the chalk, his expression solemn. "The Red Army not only distributes land but also has iron discipline. The Three Main Rules: First, obey orders in all actions; Second, do not take a single needle or thread from the masses; Third, turn in all captured goods. The Eight Points of Attention: be polite in speech, conduct fair trade, return borrowed items..." He pointed to the grain piled in the corner. "The grain we seized from Village Head Li yesterday has already been distributed to each household based on population. The Red Army takes nothing from the masses; every grain we eat is ill-gotten wealth seized from local tyrants and evil gentry!"

On the threshing floor outside the hall, another scene was unfolding. The Red Army medic, Little Li, was treating villagers. His medicine kit, though simple, brought hope to many who had suffered for years. "Old Man Zhang, this is rheumatism. I’ll apply a plaster for you and teach you a herbal remedy—all things you can find in the mountains."

Not far away, several Red Army soldiers were helping villagers repair leaking roofs. "Sister-in-law Wang, don't worry. We’ll fix this roof tight; I guarantee it won't leak even in the heaviest rain!"

Such scenes of deep camaraderie were more persuasive than any speech. Many hesitant villagers, seeing the Red Army genuinely working for the poor, began entering the hall to learn more about this unconventional force.

Inside the regimental headquarters, Zhong Guangbang’s abacus clicked rhythmically. "Commander! Commissar!" he reported excitedly. "In five days, we’ve recruited 487 men from the surrounding townships!"

Wang Lin looked at the new recruits on the training ground as they diligently practiced their drills. These once-numb mountain men now had the spark of revolution in their eyes. He turned to Wang Guangdao and said, "Commissar, look—this is the true source of our Red Army’s strength!"

Wang Guangdao nodded with deep feeling. "Indeed. When you speak of revolutionary truths to the hearts of the masses and distribute the landlords' land to the farmers, such an army can never be defeated or worn down!"

Under the sunset, the new soldiers took a solemn oath: "I voluntarily join the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, abide by revolutionary discipline, fight to the end for the liberation of the poor, and will never defect!" Their voices echoed in the mountains of northern Guizhou, like a bugle call before dawn, signaling the arrival of a new era.

Wang Lin walked to the front of the ranks, looking at the dark, determined faces of his new comrades. He said loudly, "Comrades! From today on, you are glorious Red Army soldiers! Remember, we are not seeking personal revenge; we are fighting for all the suffering people under heaven! We must not only topple the local tyrants and evil gentry, but also build a new world without oppression, where everyone is equal!"

"Down with local tyrants and evil gentry!" the new soldiers shouted, arms raised.

"Long live the Red Army!"

"Long live the victory of the revolution!"

Amidst the passionate slogans, Wang Lin saw the hope of the Chinese revolution. This force, newly infused with fresh blood, stood ready with a brand-new spirit to face the coming battles.

Late at night, Wang Lin stood alone before the map at headquarters. Although the 487 new soldiers solved the immediate crisis, his strength remained stretched thin for the looming great war. He turned to his guard, "Saddle the horses. I’m going to the Army Corps headquarters."

In the temporary office of the 5th Army Corps Political Commissar, Wang Lin placed two bottles of soy sauce liquor on the table, a smile plastered on his face. "Commissar, try this fine Xishui brew—good stuff, aged three years in the cellar! I even spent my wife-to-be’s dowry money to buy it while passing through Xishui Town."

Political Commissar Li Zhuoran looked at the bottles with a skeptical smile. "When did you, Wang Lin, become so courteous? Speak, what do you want from me?"

"Heh heh, the Commissar is truly perceptive!" Wang Lin rubbed his hands. "I heard you’ve recruited quite a few new soldiers here. How about sparing 300 for our Independent Regiment to help us grow?"

"Ha! Isn't your Independent Regiment strong enough? 300?" Li Zhuoran nearly spat out his tea. "You’ve got some nerve! The Central Committee only recruited two thousand in total; every unit is waiting for their share. At most, I can give you 50!"

"50 isn't enough to fill the gaps in my teeth!" Wang Lin immediately began to act the rogue, sitting in his chair. "Commissar, look at my Independent Regiment—we lost over 500 men at Erlangtan, and another 200 are in the field hospital, likely out for at least a month or two. If you don't give me men, I can't function as a commander. How about this: 200, and not a man less!"

Li Zhuoran hardened his face. "The Army Corps has regulations—all units are supplemented proportionally. Your Independent Regiment is already the best-equipped in the whole army; giving you 50 is already an exception made only because of the Erlangtan campaign!"

Wang Lin acted as if he hadn't heard, opening the bottle himself. "This Xishui soy sauce liquor is so fragrant. Commissar, won't you try some? Let’s drink until we’re drunk tonight!" He poured two glasses and forced one into Li Zhuoran’s hand. "If you don't agree, I’ll stay here drinking with you until dawn!"

Li Zhuoran, exasperated and amused, sighed. "You... you really are a rascal of a commander! 100 men, and not a single one more!"

Wang Lin took the deal immediately and stood up. "Thank you, Commissar! I knew you cared most about our Independent Regiment!"

"Commissar, look, about the ammunition... our Independent Regiment's stocks were mostly used up at Erlangtan... heh heh..."

"Commander Wang, do you want to see how much ammunition my head is worth? Why don't you take it to the other side and trade it?"

"How could I do that, Commissar?"

"Then how about another idea? How about I take the weapons and ammunition from the other three regiments of the 5th Army Corps and give them all to you, in exchange for your regiment's weapons and ammo?" Commissar Li looked at Wang Lin with a mischievous grin.

"Oh! Right, I just remembered, there’s an issue with a unit returning to the fold—we need to investigate the matter of turning in captured goods. The Army Corps cannot foster corrupt practices, you know."

"Commissar, you’re ready to sleep, right? I won't disturb you any longer. I’ll go pick up the soldiers myself. Goodnight, Commissar."